Benjamin g-



(No Model.)

B. G. GASLER.

CLAMP.

No. 562,949. Patented June 30, 1896.

INVENTOI? 4 ATTORNEY WITNESSES AN DREW BGRAHAM. PNOYOMTKQ WASNINGIUNJI CUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN G. OASLER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

CLAMP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 562,949, dated June 30,1896.

Application filed January 7, 1896. Serial No. 574,569. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN G. CASLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga, State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Clamps; and I herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure1 is an end View of a clamp embody ing my invention in connection withportions of two rods or bars held thereby, the dotted lines illustratingdifferent adjustments of the clamp whereby the relative angles formed bythe bars or planes of the bars with relation to each other may bechanged as desired. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the clamp, portionsbroken away to show the threaded eyebolt, washers, &c. Figs. 3 and 4 aredetached views of the adjustable sections of the clamp, showing theadjacent or coacting faces thereof. Figs. 5 and 6 areviews of the outerfaces or ends of the clamp-sections. Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 2(portions broken away) to show a modification in the arrangement of thespring which controls the adjustable clamp-sections; and Fig. 8 is aplan view of section 1 as shown in Fig. 7, showing the elongated slotthrough which the eyebolt 3 passes.

Like symbols refer to like parts wherever they occur.

My invention relates to the construction of clamps for adj ustablyconnecting and fixedly securing rods or bars for any desired purpose,but has been more especially devised for use in erecting show-racks ordisplay-fixtures for exhibiting merchandise in general, and has for itsobject the production of a simple, substantial, and eflicient clampwhereby any two rods or bars may be rigidly connected at any desiredangle one to the other, and the relative planes of the bars bethereafter changed from time to time, as required, by a simplerearrangement of the clamp-sections.

To this end the invention consists in the construction and combinationof certain rotatable annular sections, with eyebolt or hook, clamp-nut,and tension-spring, as will hereinafter more fully appear, and bespecifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, A B indicate two rods or bars, which may be the uprightand cross bar of a show-rack, or crossing bars of any equivalentstructure, and O a clamp embodying my invention. The clamp O is composedof two sections 1 and 1, each having on its outer face a rod or bar seatS s and so shaped and constructed as to be rotatable, one with relationto the other, on a common axis, and provided with means for securingsaid sections together at any given point in their rotation.

The preferred form of said clamp-sections is annular, with contactingfaces (though an interposed idle section may be used) one of which isserrated as at 2 and the other provided with one or more-preferably aplurality ofprojections or teeth 2, adapted to enter the serrations onthe face of the coacting section. Passing loosely through the centralopening of the said sections 1 1 is a threaded eyebolt 3, whose eye 3 isadapted for the passage of one of the rods or bars A and whose threadedend is provided with a nut 3 (and washer loose on the nut,) thuscompleting the clamp and providing means for binding both rods or bars AB securely to the clamp-sections 1 1 in any given position. Instead ofan eye 3 its equivalent a hook end for the bolt 3 may, if desired, besubstituted, and in either case it is desirable to form eye-seat at atright angles to the bar or rod seat of that section to insure a properrelation of the hook or eye to the rod-seat when the rod is removed.

In order to hold the clamp-sections 1 and 1 in any given relativeposition to which they have been adjusted until such time as they shallhave been secured by setting home the clamp-nut .3 or its equivalent,and also to permit of the change in adjustment of the said sectionswithout displacing the bars or rods A B when the nut 3* has beenretracted, a tension-spring 5 of any desired form is arranged to act onone of the sections, as for instance section 1, and is interposedbetween said section and the nut 3 Said spring is preferably of spiralform encircling the eyebolt and located within the annular section 1(though a flat spring may be used) and with one bearing 5 formed on thesaid section 1 and the other either directly on the nut 3 (or the loosenut-washer) or if preferred on a separate detached nut 5", located onsaid eyebolt 3.

In the combination illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings thetension-sprin g 5 is shown as a taper-coil broadest at the base,'wl1ichrests on the inwardly-projecting points or bearings 5* of the section 1,while the opposite or outer end of the coil bears on the separate ordetached nut 5 whereby the tension of the spring may be adjustedindependently of the clamp-nut 3 In the combination shown in Fig. 7 ofthe drawings, however, a straight coil or spiral is used, its inner endseated on section 1, the section 1 in this case being solid except foran elongated slot the width of the diameter of eyebolt 3 for the passageof the eyebolt, (or even a simple hole the diameter of the eyebolt willserve the purpose,) and the outer end of the straight coil-spring bearsdirectly on the clamp-nut 3 or the loose washer attached thereto, inwhich latter construction the tension of the spring cannot be controlledindependently of the clamp-nut.

The construction being substantially of the character hereinbefore setforth, the clamp is applied by first separating or springing apart theserrated clamp-sections 1 1 and rotating one section on the other untilthe two bar or rod seats S s are at the required angle to each other, orin the required intersecting planes, after which the serrated faces areallowed to engage, which fixes the said sections and barseats in thedesired position, after which the rods or bars are inserted and securedby turning home the nut 3 Thereafter any other adjustments may besecured without removing the rods or bars by simply loosening up nut 3until the sections 1 1 can be sprung out of engagement, whereupon thesections may be rotated one upon the other until in the new positiondesired, when the serrated faces of sections 1 and 1 are again allowedto engage and the nut 3 turned home as before.

Among the advantages of my invention are, first, simplicity,effectiveness, and rigidity, when considered simply as a clamp forverticals and cross-rods in erecting show-racks and like structures,and, secondly, as an efficient, simple, and inexpensive substitute forpivoted and ratchet bracket-arms where inclined bar rests or shelves arerequired. In fact, a clamp constructed substantially as herein set forthcannot only be employed for obtaining all the results and usualadjustments effected by the present known forms of bar and rod clamps,but for the general purposes for which pivoted and ratchet bracketarmsare now generally required, thus in a great measure dispensing withexpensive bracket-arms.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Pat-- ent, is-

1. In a clamp, the combination of a plurality of annular rotatablesections each having a rod or bar seat on its outer face, and one ofsaid sections having a tension-spring seat on its interior, an eye orhook bolt which passes through the annular sections, a clampnut providedwith a loose washer, and an included tension spring interposed betweensaid tension-spring seat and the clamp-nut; substantially as and for thepurposes specified.

2. In a clamp, the combination of engaging annular rotatableclamp-sections, each having a rod or bar seat on its outer face, one ofsaid sections having an eye-seat at right angles to the rod or bar seatand the other section having a tension-spring seat on its interior, aneyebolt, a clamp-nut thereon, and an included tension-springinterposedbetween the clampnut and the tension-sprin g seat of said section;substantially as and for the purposes specified.

3. In a clamp, the combination of a plurality of annular sections havingengaging faces, each of said sections having a bar-seat on its outerface, an included eyebolt, a spiral spring which encircles the eyeboltwithin the annular section and on which section said spring bears, anindependent nut for adj usting the tension of the spring,.and a clampnutand loose washer thereon for securing the several sections and the barsor rods, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in presence of two witnesses,this 6th day of January, 1896.

BENJAMIN G. OASLER.

\Vitnesses J. A. OSBORNE, E. E. OSBORNE.

